Work-Related Intervention Programs: Desistance From Criminality and Occupational Integration Among Released Prisoners on Parole

Abstract

The present research examines the integration into employment of prisoners on parole who had been under the supervision of the Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority during the period 2007-2010. The supervision program included rehabilitation in the community, with the emphasis on employment. The research compares integration in employment and rates of reincarceration for the supervised group with prisoners who had been released from prison after serving their full sentences. The findings indicate that among prisoners who had participated in the supervision program, there is better integration into employment, a higher wage level, and lower rate of reincarceration. Based on these results, it may be tentatively inferred that the supervision program possesses a high potential for reintegrating released prisoners into the community.

The Facilitators and Barriers Faced When Transitioning Back into the Community Following a Prison Sentence

“…Through analysis of each ex-offender’s personal account paired with an in-depth literature review, the desperate need for improvements and change regarding transitional programs and support was clear (Brown, 2004; Smith-Merry et al, 2019; Soeker et al, 2013). However, only a few transitional programs such as support for transitional housing, and job placement / vocational training exist that aim to fill such gaps (Bowman & Ely, 2020; Fox, 2012; Peled-Laskov et al, 2019). Jaegers et al (2020) implemented a jail-based transitional program, and the findings were congruent with our participants’ personal accounts which point to the need for improved access to and resources within transitional programs for ex-offenders.…”

Difficulties and Challenges in an Employment Supervision Program for Paroled Prisoners

“…Participation in the psychological treatment program twice a week, once individually and once as part of a group where each session lasts 50 minutes. The prisoner's consent to participate in the program, following its approval, must be obtained prior to his release from prison (Peled-Laskov, Shoham, & Cojocaru, 2019).…”

“…Although research has been conducted to examine the effectiveness of such programs based on indices showing proclivity towards criminal activity (Peled-Laskov & Bialer, 2013;Peled-Laskov, Shoham, & Cojocaru, 2019), to our knowledge no research has focused on the manner in which the programs are perceived by their operators. The present study seeks to explore the challenges and obstacles facing the released prisoners participating in the program, as well as the contribution of the supervision employment program to successful integration of paroled prisoners in a normative cycle of life.…”

“…The problems that the prisoner must face on his reentry into the community come to the surface in the course of both individual and group psychological treatment. The principal issues concern problems at work, difficulty in bowing to authority, coping with the temptation to return to crime and the lure of making a quick windfall, domestic problems and stresses, marital problems, low self-image, and traumas from the period of imprisonment (Peled-Laskov, Shoham, & Cojocaru, 2019).…”

Women Offenders Under Community Supervision: Comparing the Profiles of Returners and Non-Returners to Federal Prison

“…In assessing the performance of correctional services, a key indicator for prison administrators, management, and researchers is parolee rates of recidivism, typically referring to a return to crime or prison (1). The literature on desistance from crime and the post-release trajectory of prisoners has blossomed in many countries (2–8). However, desistance remains marked by ongoing debates, primarily around definitional matters (e.g., the meaning of “desistance”) but also theoretical questions related to how and why desistance occurs (9).…”